Paraíso, Tabasco 2.99

Paraíso is a town and municipality located in the north of the Mexican state of Tabasco, about 75 km due north of the state capital of Villahermosa on the Gulf of Mexico. Much of the area is traditionally dedicated to fishing and agriculture. Today, it is also an oil producing area with the mostly oil dedicated port of Dos Bocas. There is also tourism connected to the area’s beaches and natural attractions, which is still underdeveloped. It is part of the state’s Cacao Route tourism program.The townThe town of Paraíso is located on the coast of Tabasco, 75 km north of the capital of Villahermosa. Although one of its important economic activities is tourism, the center of the town has not been overwhelmed with hotels and other tourist oriented businesses. Most of the houses of the town are modest, constructed with brick or adobe with a few hacienda style houses with lavish gardens.The center of the town is marked by a large plaza with the San Marcos Church on the north side. It and the La Asunción Church are the two most important as they represent its two patron saints of Mark the Evangelist and Our Lady of the Assumption. Parque Central Guillermo Sevilla Fiqueroa features modern architecture with a tall clock tower. It also has areas with gardens and trees and a civic plaza set up to double as an open-air theater. There is also a cafeteria and a reflecting pool.Carnival begins on 20 January with an event called “La Pintorrea.” On Sunday before Ash Wednesday there is a “flour war” with widows asking for alms on Ash Wednesday. After mass the day ends with the burning of an effigy called “Juan Carnaval.”